Friday, February 26, 2016

(CNSNews.com) - President Obama "can try" to go around Congress in his attempt to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay Cuba, House Speaker Paul Ryan told news conference on Wednesday. "He has no authority to do so," Ryan added.

Ryan reminded reporters that Congress voted overwhelmingly for the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains a provision saying the president may not move Guantanamo inmates to U.S. soil.

"We are making legal preparations if the president tries to break the law," Ryan said. "And what boggles my mind, is that the president is contemplating directing the military to knowingly break the law.

"Our law is really clear, and by the way, Democrats wrote this law when they were in the majority, when they ran Congress, which is, these detainees cannnot come to American soil.

"So if the president proceeds with knowingly breaking the law and asking the military to break the law, he will be met with fierce bipartisan oppostion here in Congress, and we're taking all legal preparations necessary to meet with that resistance.

Apple is apparently taking the nuclear option in its war with the FBI — making it impossible for it to comply with future demands for data from law enforcement.

According to new reports published by The Financial Timesand The New York Times, the Cupertino technology giant is introducing new security measures that will make it impossible to access customers' data, both on devices and in the cloud.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.This could go all the way to the US Supreme Court

Without the aircraft carrier, the US Military has no substantial edge over most countries. At a cost of $4.5 billion each, the ten nuclear powered Nimitz class carriers within our fleet, give Washington the ability to project its power to any coastal nation on the planet at a moments notice.

Without these vessels, the United States military would still be formidable, but it wouldn’t be the world-class offensive force that has dominated this planet since the end of the Cold War. There would be plenty of countries out there that our government would no longer be able to strike with impunity. Alternatively, there may be plenty of countries that can, or will soon be able to effectively counter our aircraft carriers.

At least, that’s what a national security think tank known as the Center for a New American Security seems to believe. They won’t come out and say it in plain English, but in a recent report they admitted that our aircraft carriers are basically obsolete. They simply don’t stack up to the defensive capabilities of countries like China…

You might think of Barcelona as an enchanted, historic European city. This week, it's home to a massive tech gathering: the Mobile World Congress. Tens of thousands of people from every corner of the earth are there — many showcasing the novel ways they're connecting citizen-consumers to the Internet. I took a tour of Innovation City and here are a few of my most memorable stops.

A Well-Connected Bike

The smart car by Jaguar — it didn't really impress me. Yeah, it's cool you can be in Jakarta and, with a phone app, unlock the doors to your SUV over in Johannesburg. But a bunch of carmakers are doing this.

What I've never seen before is a bike-maker doing it. And here it is: from a distance, just something that looks like a standard commuter bike, but step up closer and you realize it's the Tesla of bikes. Not that it's electric, but like the luxury car, it's powered by software and connected to the Internet.

The night Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston, the reigning heavyweight champion, crowds had squeezed into the venue, expecting to watch Liston beat the stuffing out of the young braggart. The odds were seven to one in Liston's favor. The air was filled with testosterone and cigar smoke. Few people noticed the tall, quiet man at ringside, immaculately dressed in a dark suit and tie and crisp white shirt, watching the fight intently.

The stranger was Ali's friend and mentor Malcolm X, and he was seen to have smiled broadly when Clay was declared the fight's winner by a TKO in the seventh. Malcolm believed a victory was preordained, that Allah would guide young Cassius in the ring. The next morning, at the traditional day-after press conference, a subdued Cassius Clay told reporters henceforth he would be known as Cassius X. A month later, he would take the name that would become world-famous: Muhammad Ali.

A customer filed a lawsuit [PDF] against Walmart, accusing the retailer of defrauding customers by stocking its New York stores’ shelves with containers labeled “100% Grated Parmesan Cheese” when, tests show, it contained up to 10% cellulose.

Cellulose is often used in grated cheese products to keep it from clumping. As much as 4% cellulose is deemed acceptable to meet the Food and Drug Administration regulations for what can bear the label Parmesan.

However, a years-long investigation by the FDA found that some companies were shilling grated Parmesan product that contained a lot of cellulose and minimal Parmesan cheese.

While federal law has long blocked most states from collecting taxes on Internet service, that prohibition has to be renewed every few years. But today President Obama signed into law a new piece of legislation that makes existing bans permanent, and puts an end date on Internet taxes for the few states that still collect them.

The Internet Tax Freedom Act was first passed back in 1998 with the intention of encouraging consumers to get online by not taxing access to things like dial-up or DSL Internet access. The legislation has never addressed the issue of collecting taxes for online purchases (more on that below).

In typically shortsighted D.C. fashion, the bill was structured so that it needed to be periodically renewed — a process it’s undergone five times in the years since.

For farmers who grow some of the biggest U.S. crops, choosing what to plant this year has become a bet on which one will lose less money.

A three-year plunge in prices has sent farm income to the lowest in more than a decade and left parts of the Midwest agricultural economy in recession. While growers probably would lose $70 on every acre of corn or soybeans they sow -- the most since 1999 -- those crops offer the best chance at profit if yields are better than average, according to AgResource Co. So, even with record global surpluses, U.S. farmers are preparing to plant more corn and soybeans in 2016 and devote less land to wheat, a Bloomberg survey showed.

“Nothing looks very good,” Terry Vinduska, 65, said by telephone from his 3,500-acre (1,416-hectare) farm in central Kansas, the biggest wheat-growing state. Vinduska, who runs the farm with his son-in-law and younger man’s father, plans to expand corn planting by 10 percent and soybeans by 5 percent on land he normally uses for wheat.

A Hillary Clinton presidency would put many gun dealers out of business and severely hurt American's Second Amendment rights, Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist tells Newsmax TV.

Clinton has supported a $2,500 tax or fee on anyone who wants to sell guns since she testified before Congress in 1993, Norquist said Wednesday on "Newsmax Prime." "It would be devastating to both gun owners and make a $400 gun cost $500, and many people who sell guns would have to get out of the business," he said. "She's going to lose the next presidential election because of her very extreme position on guns."

NEW YORK — UPS, looking for ways to get goods to shoppers faster, is investing in same-day delivery company Deliv.

Deliv, founded nearly four years ago, works with Macy’s Inc., Kohl’s Corp. and other retailers to deliver online orders within the same day. Shoppers select same-day delivery when they’re about to buy something from the retailer’s website and Deliv’s workers get it delivered. Retailers pay Deliv for its service and the stores usually charge customers. At Kohl’s, for example, shoppers pay $9.95 for same-day deliveries on orders above $75 and $14.95 for orders below $75.

Israel’s new Attorney General, Avichai Mandleblit, green-lighted on Wednesday the controversial bill proposed by Sports and Culture Minister Miri Regev (Likud) that would enable the ministry to strip performing artists and cultural institutions engaging in anti-Israel behavior of government funding, Yediot Ahronot reported.

Dubbed the “loyalty law”, the bill would give the Minister of Sports and Culture the discretion to withhold public funds from any institution which displays clear and deliberate disrespect for the State of Israel.

Among the criteria listed which could disqualify a cultural institution from receiving government funds are desecration or disrespectful behavior towards the Israeli flag or other state symbols, incitement to racism, incitement to terrorism, rejection of Israel as a Jewish democratic state, and public displays of mourning on Israeli Independence Day.

It’s no surprise that those with boring-but-safe, 9-to-5 jobs tend to be unsatisfied and less successful than they could be in their careers.

That’s because the first ingredient to success is to do what you’re passionate about, says serial entrepreneur Parviz Firouzgar, author of “20/20 Hindsight” (www.parvizfirouzgar.com).“When you have the chance to do what you actually love, take it,” says Firouzgar, who did so and made a fortune.

“The surest way to work your life’s dream is to exercise entrepreneurship, which usually means creating your own niche business. Believe me – it’s possible when you have passion and your specialization fills a need. I’ve done it multiple times and it has been a great ride.”

Through trial and error – and after decades of experience – Firouzgar has uncovered reliable tips for creating a business so you can live your passion.

• Find a good mentor. Of course, your enterprise must be financially sustainable. Imagine having the ability to skip ahead to possessing that unique set of skills that comes with already having earned your first fortune. “Had I known what it would take to earn my first million before I’d earned that knowledge, it would have come much quicker and easier,” says Firouzgar. “A good mentor helps you fast-forward through time-consuming mistakes, and will help you learn from their mistakes so you don’t have to experience them.”

• Formulate a quality business plan for the start-up phase. Getting excited over an idea is fun, but figuring out logistics is where the work begins. While investors seek confidence first and foremost in people – their passion, determination and past successes – a sound business plan is vital for raising capital. If multiple investors refuse your project, it may mean the plan didn’t demonstrate how and when the investment would generate an acceptable return.

• To-do lists are non-negotiable – use them. Among the abundant academic and self-help literature intended to help aspirational people achieve goals, there is one proven and reliable tool that sets the gold standard like nothing else: a to-do list. To-do lists act as cheat sheets for keeping your busy mind focused on what needs to be addressed. “An added tip in executing a to-do list: do first what you like doing least,” Firouzgar says.

• In partnerships, you need more than good intentions. New businesses are often founded on shared dreams within a relationship. But before moving forward on a good intention with a family member, spouse or friend, give the concept and its logistics an honest and objective assessment.

“Few people understand why this dynamic so often fails,” he says. “But, more importantly, even fewer people have managed to avoid the pitfalls the first time they enter into a business partnership.”

WHAT: The Governor's Office of Community Initiatives will celebrate Black HistoryMonth with the theme "Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories" at "The Hill Community" in Easton, Maryland. Dating back to the 1790s, The Hill is the oldest free African American settlement still in existence in the United States.

WHO: Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford

Lyndra MarshallChair, Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

Dale Glenwood GreenAssistant Professor of Architecture and Historic Preservation, Morgan State UniversityVice Chair, Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

Obamacare has been a boon to the nation’s insurance companies, expanding the number of Americans with coverage, but small businesses are “getting crushed” by soaring health costs tied to the controversial law, a leading U.S. health policy and insurance consultant says.

Russ Carpel, CEO of the healthcare consultant company Level Funded Health, tells Newsmax TV’s Newsmax Now that the Affordable Care Act has driven up insurance costs for employers dramatically since its passage in 2010 — expenditures that are hitting small businesses particularly hard.

“What we're seeing is health insurance premiums skyrocket anywhere from 20-200 percent year over year on these traditional small group health insurance coverage plans that these small businesses are in today,” says Carpel, whose company was created to help businesses navigate new benefits mandated under Obamacare.

“The ACA was enacted, the health insurance carriers were afraid they were going to be on the menu and said ‘Let's get to the table, let's get to Washington, let's work with the president,’ and therefore companies who dominate the market share in this arena and this sector are seeing record profits,” Carpel notes.

“They've figured it out and the small business didn't. Unfortunately, they're getting crushed.”

Three major country music festivals have been canceled in 2016 with little-to-no explanation provided.

Most recently, Dega Jam, set to take place on July 4 weekend at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, was axed. The racetrack's director of public relations told FOX411 the festival's production company provided no reason except it was a "business decision."

"[The festival's production company] FPI, their group is the one that decided to cancel, because of [a] business reason they were not going to do it," Russell Branham told FOX411 Country.

He added, "We're disappointed and surprised because it was going to be another weekend event here at the racetrack."

The White House is mounting a two-pronged strategy to force through a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia: relying on allies to shame the Republicans for their obstruction while showing President Barack Obama in high-minded deliberations over the next nominee.

In the latest glimpse of the counter-offensive, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada blasted Republicans on the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, while Obama published a blog post on an influential, non-partisan legal site describing his criteria for a Supreme Court nominee.

Reid said on the Senate floor that the Judiciary chairman, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, had "surrendered every pretense of independence" and adopted "a narrow, partisan mission of obstruction and gridlock." Grassley’s committee would vet and hold hearings on any nominee.

Obama, meanwhile, wrote on SCOTUSblog that the court decision is one "to which I devote considerable time, deep reflection, careful deliberation, and serious consultation with legal experts, members of both political parties, and people across the political spectrum."

The goal, according to Democrats and liberal advocates allied with the White House, is to ratchet up pressure in particular on Grassley and Senate Republicans who are vulnerable in elections this November. More here

A sheriff's report offers a detailed account of the hours after Antonin Scalia's body was found in Texas, describing how the owner of the luxury resort where the Supreme Court justice died told the sheriff he had no authority in the matter. The report also includes a reference to a pillow that spawned conspiracy theories. A look at the sheriff's account:

When the body of the 79-year-old Scalia was found Feb. 13 in his bed at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, ranch owner John Poindexter was initially vague when reporting the death to authorities, the report said.

Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez complained that he was delayed in responding because Poindexter would not reveal during a phone call who had died.

"I then advised Poindexter that a death reported in Presidio County was under my jurisdiction and that it should be reported to my office," Dominguez wrote. "He then stated to me that this death was way beyond my authority and that it should go to the Feds."

After a series of phone calls, Dominguez met U.S. marshals at the ranch near Marfa, about 190 miles southeast of El Paso, where they were taken to Scalia's room. They found the jurist face-up in his bed, with sheets pulled to his chin and his hands at his side.

Non-trick question: What’s the price difference between a health plan that covers a family of two and that same plan’s new self-plus-one option? Same two people, two very different sets of premiums. Give up?

Answer: $5,110. The person with the traditional family plan (whether that family consists of two people or 20 people) will pay $100 a week more for the same coverage than someone who moves into that plan’s new self-plus-one (S+1) option. So what’s the catch? Actually there two catches…

First and most important, is the plan you are in now. The plan with the biggest 2016 premium gap — the difference between the famly plan and the new S+1 option — is the MD-IPA plan. It’s an HMO and most of the people who are in it live in the metro Washington area. Its family premium this year (regardless of family size) is $8,870. But if a two-person family downsizes and moves into MD-IPA’s new S+1 option this month, the premium will drop to $3,760. No change in benefits, doctors or services. Just a $5K plus savings in premiums. Money that goes directly to your pocket. Or your direct deposit paycheck account. But it is yours to spend. The equivalent — if you and your plan fit the mold — of a $100-a-week pay raise.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) wants to know whether federal employees’ pay matches up with what they deserve.

In a letter to acting Office of Personnel Management Director Beth Cobert, Chaffetz asked for a wide swath of information on federal workers’ compensation for the past five years.

“To better understand the state of the federal workforce, the Committee is examining federal employees’ compensation and benefits to ensure that federal employees are properly compensated based on their work and performance,” the letter said.

The letter’s request for information includes:

The average annual federal pay raise, both as a dollar amount and percentage

The number and percentage of federal workers who received awards or bonuses each year

The average yearly pay increase for federal employees on the General Schedule pay scale

The number of employees in the Senior Executive Service who received a pay raise or bonus

The number and percentage of federal employees who earned more than $100,000 or $150,000 in fiscal 2015

(Princess Anne, MD) – Maryland state troopers from the Princess Anne Barrack are looking for four armed men involved in an overnight shooting that occurred just before 5:00 p.m. yesterday in Somerset County.

The suspects are described as three African- American males and one Caucasian or possible Hispanic male. There are two victims and their names are not being released at this time.

Just before 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Maryland State troopers from the Princess Anne Barrack along with officers from the Princess Anne Police Department and sheriff’s deputies from Somerset County Sheriff’s Department responded to the 12000 block of Somerset Avenue in Princess Anne for a report of shots fired. This call was placed by one of the victims.

The preliminary investigation revealed one of the victims was operating a black and tan Lincoln Town Car traveling southbound on Somerset Avenue. A burgundy Chevrolet Tahoe traveling northbound crossed the center line and struck the Lincoln Town car head on. At the time of the crash four men reportedly exited the Tahoe.

Police believe at least two shots were fired into the victim’s vehicle after the crash. Both victims were able to exit their vehicle, run for shelter and escape unharmed. The four suspects reportedly fled the scene in their Tahoe which was found abandoned at Loretto Road in Princess Anne.

Joined police forces set up a perimeter and canvassed the area using all resources such as K9 and Aviation to locate the suspects and vehicle. State Police investigators have received some leads and information, but are hoping others with information come forward. Callers may remain anonymous. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack at (443) 260-3700. This investigation is still active and ongoing.

(CNSNews.com) - Secretary of State John Kerry told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of State and Foreign Assistance today that he is having an “additional evaluation” done to help him determine whether the systematic murder of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East—at the hands of the Islamic State and others—should be declared “genocide.”

“I will make a decision on it as soon as I have that additional evaluation and we will proceed forward from there,” Kerry said.

As a preface to his question, Fortenberry told Kerry about a young Syrian man who had been murdered by jihadists after refusing to renounce his Christian faith.

“I had the extraordinary privilege of being in the room with Pope Francis when he, in a very powerful moment, was given a small cross, a Christian crucifix,” said Fortenberry. “That crucifix had belonged to a young Syrian man who had been captured by the jihadists, and he was told to choose: Convert or die. And he chose his ancient faith tradition. He chose Christ, and he was beheaded.”

Donald Trump won the Nevada caucus Tuesday with almost 46% of the vote, and he is now three for four. Marco Rubio claimed 24% to Ted Cruz's 21%.

For his part, Trump told his supporters, "Now we're winning, winning, winning the country, and soon the country is going to start winning, winning, winning!"

Of the Nevada demographics, he said, "We won the evangelicals. We won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated. We're the smartest people. We're the most loyal people, and you know what I'm happy about? Because I've been saying it for a long time — 46% were the Hispanics — 46%. Number one with Hispanics. I'm really happy about that." And according to the entrance polling and the exit polling, he is correct.

Though Nevada, like Iowa, is a caucus state, and only 70,000 people turned out, the breadth of Trump's support among those voters was impressive. The commonly held theory that Trump has a "low ceiling" of support, capped at just 30%, is questionable. As Byron York writes, "If he has a ceiling ... it is higher than earlier thought."

The GOP delegate count is now Trump 81, Cruz 17, Rubio 17, Kasich 6 and Carson 4. That is a long way from the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination, but the Trump train is full of steam.

Trump's campaign is a case study of how a wealthy, masterful self-promoter can keep himself front-and-center in the mainstream media, and how that keeps him on top in the polls in a field with multiple opponents. Though Trump could buy his way to a Republican primary victory, he won't have to.

There are three factors propelling Trump's lead.

But before defining those factors, by way of disclosure up front, let me say that I will "vote early and often" for Donald Trump if he is the Republican nominee.

The recent documentary “Web Junkie” depicts teens in China who have become so enamored with their video games they’ve stopped taking breaks to eat, sleep and even use the bathroom. Hours of playing have caused these kids difficulty in discerning reality and many have come to view the real world as fake. Doctors have diagnosed these children with a clinical disorder and established rehabilitation centers for them where they are kept isolated from media.

13 to 17-year-olds average 3,364 texts a month.

Even if your child is not at that level of addiction, most parents agree that our children are excessively plugged in to their devices. A 2010 study cited that the “the average 8-10 year old spends nearly eight hours a day with a variety of media, and older children and teenagers spend more than 11 hours per day.” Texting may become the next behavioral obsession that parents must contend with. Half of teenagers send 50 or more texts a day and 13 to 17 year olds average 3,364 texts a month. These are alarming statistics that are only increasing.

SAN FRANCISCO – There’s no question that the Pacific Educational Group, a San Francisco-based education consulting company, is a successful for-profit enterprise.

It’s a standing tribute to American capitalism, and the success that entrepreneurs of all races can experience in a free market economy.

Of course PEG’s overt mission is to improve educational opportunities for black and other minority children.

The company sells the notion that the American education system is unfairly based on traditional white cultural norms (white privilege in schools) to the benefit of white students and the detriment of minorities.

The product it sells to schools involves training for teachers and other staff members, so they can better understand and relate to the needs of minority students.

One might assume that PEG’s founder and president, Glenn Singleton, who is a black man, wants better instruction for minority kids so they can follow his path and become successful participants in the American economy.

Yet PEG has working relationships with a number of radical progressive academics who condemn American capitalism and society in general.

These academics seem intent on convincing minority students that the education system, and American society in general, are biased against them. Instead of motivating students for success, they seem like they want to convince them they are victims of an unjust society that requires radical transformation.

Eighteen school districts reported paying PEG a combined $1.56 million in that one year. Seven of those districts paid the company six figures.

PEG has used speakers at its national conferences who condemn the ideals of private property and profit, and dismiss the notion that minority students (like Singleton once was) can work hard and succeed on their own.

One keynote speaker at the PEG’s Summit for Courageous Conversations back in 2009 was Antonia Darder, a professor who has worked at several American universities. She once gave a speech entitled “The Neoliberal Restructuring of Cities, Education Policy, and Possibilities for Social Transformation Through a Marxist Lens.”

Presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has doubled down in his efforts to push legislation that would triple the number of H-1B visa holders in the United States, even after Microsoft’s announcement last week that it will terminate another 7,800 U.S. workers in order to replace them with cheaper labor — this on top of the 18,000 it’s already laid off.

Rubio’s I-Squared bill would effectively further the plight of American STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and IT workers. Computer World notes that during a speech in Chicago last week, Rubio emphasized the false narrative that a lack of skilled American workers is the cause of these massive layoffs, using the phrase “skills gap” as his hook; a code phrase which is also employed by Microsoft, Southern California Edison and other companies.

In reality, there is a surplus, not shortage, of skilled U.S. workers and not enough STEM jobs to accommodate these citizens.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) responded to Microsoft’s mass layoffs announcement last week saying the mass tech corporation is crushing Americans’ dreams: “Any increase to the H-1B visa would only quash the dreams of more talented Americans, glut the labor market and keep pay low, and push more of our own homegrown best and brightest students out of work.”

The Obama administration has announced that it will not enforce new counter-terrorism measures passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress because they could harm Iranian business interests, according to new instructions issued by the Department of Homeland Security.

The administration’s decision to waive portions of a new counter-terrorism law aimed at preventing terrorism-linked individuals from traveling to the United States comes on the heels of a lobbying effort by pro-Iran organizations and other Arab advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.

Congress last year tightened restrictions on the Visa Waiver Program, which facilitates travel between the United States and 38 other partner countries, to ensure that individuals from Iran and other countries with a terrorist footprint do not enter the United States without first obtaining a visa.

Top Iranian officials objected to the new counter-terror measures, saying that they would harm Iranian business interests and could force the Islamic Republic to walk away from the recently implemented nuclear agreement.

Secretary of State John Kerry wrote to Iranian leaders in December to assure them the Obama administration would waive the regulations, a move that was enforced by DHS earlier this week.

“The administration has the authority to waive” the counter-terrorism measures and will ensure they do not “interfere with legitimate business interests of Iran,” Kerry wrote to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

Their Machiavellian plan worked. In the run-off Chris McDaniel again beat Thad Cochran with republican voters, but the paid-to-vote Democrats lifted Cochran back onto the throne in the elite Republican Chamber.

Against the desperation of a South Carolina victory for Donald Trump, and now a Nevada victory for Donald Trump, the DC Republican team have re-enlisted the exact same players to roll out a similar nuclear attack approach against the ‘outsider republican’.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia declined to block a rule in three states that requires individuals to prove they are citizens when registering to vote using mail-in registration forms.

The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of left-wing groups, including the League of Women Voters and the NAACP, earlier this month.

Three lawyers representing the liberal organizations have given thousands in campaign contributions to Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who on numerous occasions has expressed opposition to voter identification laws on the campaign trial.

The suit argues that the executive director of the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC), Brian D. Newby, violated the Administrative Procedure Act when he granted requests by Georgia, Kansas, and Alabama to modify federal forms to require voter applicants using a national mail-in form to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

The groups sought to temporarily halt the new requirement. Richard J. Leon, the judge presiding over the issue, denied the request.

“Plaintiffs ask this Court to issue a temporary restraining order enjoining defendants the EAC and Mr. Newby from enforcing his decisions and ‘to take all actions necessary to restore the status quo ante…’ Upon consideration of the parties’ written and submissions and oral argument, the court DENIES plaintiffs’ motion,” the court order reads.

Leon rejected the request because the lawyers representing the left-wing groups could not prove that immediate and irreparable harm would occur without a stoppage of the requirement at this time.

Existing state laws could be getting in the way of police accountability and transparency, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Urban Institute.

The group has unveiled an interactive tracker that details existing and proposed state laws on police-worn body cameras, when they can be used and how the public can access footage.

Most states have certain exemptions or restrictions that would keep the public from gaining access to the footage, the tracker shows. But that is changing as more police departments equip officers with recording devices. And that’s forcing states to grapple with the balance between police investigations, privacy protections and the public’s right to information.

States also are dealing with how to deploy the cameras. At least nine states have passed legislation on when and where police can use the cameras, the tracker shows. Similar bills are pending in another 16 states.

Some states, such as South Carolina, have completely exempted body camera footage from public disclosure. Such restrictions worry advocates who say the policies risk complicating existing public records laws and can potentially hide police misconduct.

But Gerald Malloy, the state senator who sponsored South Carolina’s law, said it is important to protect the privacy of people who are recorded by the cameras.

This is an important story about Judicial Watch’s complicated and complex investigation into the Obama administration’s deadly Operation Fast and Furious scandal. And this is one story that should be shared far and wide.

Earlier this week Judicial Watch was pleased to announce that we scored a victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding a September 5, 2013, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for all records of communications between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on settlement discussions in the Committee’s 2012 contempt of Congress lawsuit against former Attorney General Eric Holder. The contempt citation stemmed from Holder’s refusal to turn over documents to Congress related to the Operation Fast and Furious gun-running scandal. The appeals court decision was issued last week, on February 12.

On June 28, 2012, Holder was held in contempt by the House of Representatives over his refusal to turn over records explaining why the Obama administration may have lied to Congress and refused for months to disclose the truth about the gunrunning operation in which the Obama administration allowed weapons to “walk” across the border into the hands of Mexican drug cartels, directly resulting in the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and countless Mexican citizens. The House vote against Holder marked the first time in U.S. history that a sitting Attorney General was held in contempt of Congress.

A week before the contempt finding, to protect Holder from criminal prosecution and stave off the contempt vote, President Obama asserted executive privilege over the Fast and Furious records that the House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed eight months earlier.

On February 26, 2016, Jesus Garduno Cruz, age 23, of Wicomico County, Maryland was sentenced to 40 years of incarceration in the Division of Corrections for 1st Degree Rape. Cruz will also remain on the sex offender registry as a Tier III sex offender for the remainder of his life.

After a trial by jury, Cruz was convicted of 1st Degree Rape and other charges related to a sexual assault that he committed on May 22, 2015, in the area of Levin Dashiell and Naylor Mill Road.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney, Matthew A. Maciarello, commended the Wicomico County Bureau of Investigation, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Worcester County Bureau of Investigations, and the Maryland State Police for their efforts in the investigation and prosecution of this case (including Det. Thomas Funk, Det. J. Seichepine, Det. Brant, Sgt. Ramey, TFC. Keidel, DFC Riggin, Tpr. Baldwin and Sr. Tpr. Otis Elzey.) The State’s Attorney’s Office also appreciates the efforts of P.R.M.C. doctors, nurses and staff, including SAFE Nurse Eunice Esposito.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), satirist, essayist and political pamphleteer, is a favorite of mine. He wrote “Gulliver’s Travels.” One of Gulliver’s voyages was to Laputa, where he visited the grand academy of Lagado, whose scientists have visions not unlike today’s politicians who exploit mankind’s gullibility.

Before getting around to our politicians, how about a quick synopsis of Gulliver’s visit to the grand academy of Lagado, where scientists were trying to solve important problems? To wage war against famine, one scientist was trying to convert excrement back into food. For eight years, another scientist was engaged in a project to extract sunbeams from cucumbers. An architect was trying to find a way to build houses starting from the roof down so as to provide shelter for construction workers as they completed their work during inclement weather. Then there was sheer lunacy in the case of a professor who claimed that conspiracies against government could be discovered by studying the excrement of subjects. All of these projects of the grand academy of Lagado scientists were doomed to failure primarily because of the immutable prohibitions of the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

How, you might ask, do these laws apply to politicians and gullible Americans?

The first law of thermodynamics, translated into plain English, states that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” Conservation of energy is a basic law of physics that cannot be violated.

My question to Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters, with his promise of free college tuition, is: Has he discovered a way around the laws of physics? Or is he lying about getting something for nothing and really means that he plans to take the earnings of one American in order to provide “free” college tuition?

Of course, he might have a more horrible method in mind as a way to provide free tuition, namely the enslavement of professors. One wonders whether Sanders would receive as much cheer from his youthful supporters if he were honest with them and told them he was going to provide for their “free” education by taking the earnings of another or by enslaving professors.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump promised, “I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created.” To assist in accomplishing that goal he has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on imported Ford vehicles from Mexico. More recently, he threatened to impose tariffs on Carrier air conditioners because its parent company, United Technologies Corp., announced plans to move to Mexico.

Trump’s battle is not against Mexico, Ford or United Technologies. Instead, his real battle is against American people who would buy goods made abroad.

RUSH: There's another story here, folks, not sure how this is going to be received at the Rubio camp. "Lawmakers are flocking to support Marco Rubio's White House campaign after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush dropped out of the GOP race on Saturday. A slew of Republicans in Congress who previously backed Bush are moving to support Rubio as he battles GOP rivals Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Rubio's campaign announced ahead of Tuesday's caucus in Nevada that Sen. Dean Heller (Nev.) and Rep. Mark Amodei (Nev.) would be backing his campaign."

And some representatives from Florida that were all Bush backers are now moving over to Rubio. Bob Dole says, "As much as I love John Kasich, you know, Rubio is probably a better candidate...

...There's a Breitbart News story, August 6th of 2015. "Marco Rubio says he wants border fence, visa tracking system, but voted against both to pass the Gang of Eight bill." And then from the article it says this: "When the Schumer-Rubio bill hit the Senate floor, Sen. John Thune offered an amendment to required the completion of a border fence. Sen. Rubio joined all members of the Gang in voting against Thune’s amendment, which failed.

"Likewise, with respect to the implementation exit-entry tracking system, Sen. Rubio voted against an amendment offered by Sen. Vitter (R-LA), which would require the implementation of exit-entry tracking system in order to prevent foreign nationals from illegally overstaying their visas."

Whatever you want to call it, some people now say don't use the word "amnesty" because it's lost its oompff and it actually has a negative connotation because it's a tired, worn-out word. Whatever works, the objective of the Democrat Party is to take whatever people are in this country illegally and allow them to vote. That's all this is about. Everything else is a smoke screen. It's not about uniting families or keeping them united. It's not about compassion. It's not about economics. It's not about any of it. It's about expanding the Democrat Party voter rolls...

...I have proven it. I have offered to support every aspect of what they call the Gang of Eight bill or whatever else they call it, amnesty, whatever. I've offered to support it. I've done this in person, not just on the air. I've said, "I will support it if you put in a provision they can't vote for 10 years, 15, 25, 30, a number of years out, but they do not get the right to vote, they can't register to vote for a long time." And nobody's interested.(Read the whole transcript here)

The last major rebel in the Republican Party has message for his team about Donald Trump: "A Stop-Trump movement will be self-defeating because Trump isn't going away."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said in an email to supporters that Trump, and the success of Sen. Ted Cruz and even outsider Ben Carson, is a sign that most GOP voters are turning their backs on the old guard establishment.

"The Republican old order still hasn't come to grips with the fact that two out of three of their own voters are repudiating them. This isn't about Trump the personality. It is about Trump, Cruz, Carson and the genuine grassroots revulsion against a political class that has failed to solve America's problems," wrote the former House GOP "back-bencher," now one of the party's most influential leaders.

The federal Bureau of Prisons will now try to deport illegal immigrants rather than turn them over to sanctuary cities, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Wednesday in a bid to solve the situation that may have led to the death of Kathryn Steinle last summer.

Ms. Lynch also said she’ll begin an audit of sanctuary cities to see if they’re violating federal law, and those that are found to be actively stymying immigration agents’ work could lose grant funding.More

JERUSALEM—Iran on Wednesday stoked the current round of violence on the West Bank and Jerusalem by promising to pay the family of every Palestinian “martyr” $7,000 and to pay $30,000 for every home of a terrorist demolished by Israel.

The announcement was made in Beirut by the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Fathali, in the presence of representatives of several Palestinian factions.

“Continuing Iran’s support for the oppressed Palestinian people,” said Fathali, “Iran announces the provision of financial aid to families of Palestinian martyrs who were killed in the ‘Jerusalem intifada.’”

He said the aid will be conveyed through the Palestinian branch of the Shahid Institution, which was established in 1992 in Iran. Fathali called on the Arab Muslim nation to rally around the Palestinian cause. A Hamas official who was present, Osama Hamdan, said that Hamas appreciates the Iranian initiative.

Across the U.S., more than 20 million people abuse drugs or alcohol or both. Only about 1 in 10 is getting treatment.

People seeking treatment often have to wait weeks or months for help. The delays can jeopardize the chances they'll be able to recover from their addiction.

In Baltimore, Health Commissioner Leana Wen has been pushing for treatment on demand, so that the moment people decide they're ready for help, it's available. It's something other health officials have sought to achieve, without success.

Please join the Salisbury City Council on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at their quarterly COFFEE WITH YOUR COUNCIL to be held at Emmanuel Wesleyan Church, 217 Beaglin Park Drive at 6:00 p.m. Coffee and refreshments provided.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council today announced a set of data-driven recommendations to reform Maryland’s criminal justice system. The recommendations are aimed at safely reducing Maryland’s incarcerated population, controlling corrections spending, and reinvesting in more effective, less expensive strategies to increase public safety and reduce recidivism. The reform package is projected to save $247 million over the next decade by realigning criminal justice spending and holding the criminal justice system accountable for results.

Following the charge laid out by Governor Larry Hogan, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., Speaker Michael E. Busch, Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera, and Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, the Council engaged in a six-month study of Maryland’s criminal justice system, analyzing state data, evaluating policies and programs used in other states, and reviewing research on what works to reduce recidivism.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that every Maryland tax dollar spent on our criminal justice system delivers the highest return on our investment in public safety,” said Governor Hogan. “Throughout its work, the Council focused on how to treat offenders suffering from substance abuse or mental health problems, and explored reentry programs that could help them become contributing members of their communities once they return home. I want to thank the Council for its hard work on this significant report.”

Candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, have both promised that if elected, they would put forth legislation that would dramatically reduce tuition and student debt for public universities in one form or another. This opportunity is a lie in itself. In order for the federal government to pay for all these students, it would be necessary for more tax money to get funneled to students who hold no real obligation to complete their degrees, and a lot of students who should not have gone to college in the first place would get degrees they don’t know what to ultimately do with.

The first issue to bring up regarding this progressive scheme to attract millennial voters is the financing of this project. Lindsey Burke, a researcher at the Heritage Foundation, pointed out in her Daily Signal article, “Why Free Community College Is Anything But Free”, a fundamental issue with financing tuition free 2-year college alone:

“Once again, the administration is pursuing initiatives to subsidize rising costs, instead of working with Congress on policies that actually would address the driver of college cost increases: the open spigot of federal student aid. Over the past several decades, college costs have risen at more than twice the rate of inflation, thanks in large part to federal subsidies.”

Nominations are being accepted for the 2016 Outstanding Public Health Leader award. This award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the public health of the citizens of Wicomico County. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at the Fritz Health Center in Salisbury, Maryland.

Nominations can be submitted electronically at www.wicomicohealth.org or call (410) 334 – 3480to obtain nomination forms. Nominations are due by Monday, March 22, 2016. Late submissions cannot be accepted.

Jimmie “JJ” Walker, from the sitcom “Good Times,” will be making two appearances in Worcester County on Saturday, Feb. 27.

He will first stop by the Original Greene Turtle on 116th Street in Ocean City from noon to 1 p.m., followed by a comedy show at the Worcester County Developmental Center in Newark, Md.

Walker plans to talk about current events and said he finds his material from paying attention to themes in everyday life.

“It is entertainment for adults in a professional setting with awesome comedians,” said Nick Johnson, executive director of Nicmar Youth Connection Enterprises (NYCE). “Everyone loves to laugh and it’s comedy for the whole family from 21 to 70 years old.”

SALISBURY — While Worcester County stuck true to its post-Labor Day school start last week, neighboring Wicomico County and most other jurisdictions are not interested in following suit, at least for the next school year.

Last week, the Worcester County Board of Education unanimously approved a 2016-2017 school calendar that once again features a post-Labor Day start with a return date for students and a final day of school on June 16. For at least the last three years, Worcester County has been the only public school district to open after Labor Day, despite a continued effort in the General Assembly to mandate the change for all counties in Maryland.

A bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Jim Mathias and a similar bill introduced in the House co-sponsored by Lower Shore Delegates Mary Beth Carozza and Charles Otto along with 10 others, are just now starting to percolate again in the legislature with committee meetings scheduled for early next month, but already school systems across the state are approving calendars for next year.

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan will visit Southern Maryland beginning this Friday, February 26 through Sunday, February 28. The governor will spend three days meeting with local elected officials, touring local businesses, and talking with constituents. The governor's public schedule is as follows:

4:00 PM: Meeting with Piscataway Leadership and St. Mary’s College Archaeology DepartmentSt. Mary’s College of Maryland (Daugherty Palmer Commons Building #4)47645 College Drive, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686

Media giant Univision is aiming to register 3 million new Latino voters with an initiative that'll include ads on its top-rated Spanish-language network, radio stations, and sports channel, the New York Times reports.

About 11 million Hispanics voted in the 2012 presidential election; the new initiative is targeting an estimated 27 million Hispanics who are eligible to vote, the Times reports.

"The rule is no one can make it to the White House without the Hispanic vote," Jorge Ramos, the network's news anchor, tells the Times. "That's why Latino registration is incredibly important. Just a few votes in Nevada, Florida and Colorado could make or break any candidate."